Save the date for the 26th annual Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13, 2017 at Wrigley Mansion’s Garden Room. Presented by Scottsdale League for the Arts, this year’s star-studded soiree is going to be the biggest and best year yet. Local TV news personality, Jamie Cerreta, will emcee the evening’s ceremony bringing an upbeat elegance to the festivities.
The Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame promises to be a fun, food-filled cocktail party and award ceremony celebrating the best and brightest in the Valley’s food and beverage industry. Tickets to the 26th annual Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame are $35 and include small bites. A cash bar will be available.
Nominees for the 2017 Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame include:
Chef of the Year
Christopher Nicosia- Sassi
Jeff Smedstad, Elote Café
Jeremy Pacheco – Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn
Anthony DeMuro – Different Pointe of View
Best Upcoming Chef
Joshua Amonson – Bourbon & Bones
Rochelle Daniel – Fat Ox
Richard Hinojosa – Crujiente Taco
Matthew Taylor – Mora Italian
Restaurateur of the Year
Hard Knocks Hospitality
S. Barrett Rinzler - Square One Concepts, Inc
Wild Thyme Group
Mixologist of the Year
Keifer Gilbert – Counter Intuitive + UnderTow
Matt Farrow – Iconic Cocktail Co
Joshua James – Clever Koi
Fernando Bambaren – Virtu
Brewer of the Year
Preston Theony – Wren House
Derek “Doc” Osborne - Pedal Haus Brewery
Chad McClelland -Goldwater Brewing Company
Brian Helton – Helton Brewing Company
Winemaker of the Year
Sam Pillsbury – Pillsbury Wine
Kent Callaghan- Callaghan Vineyards
Maynard James Keenan - Caduceus Cellars/Merkin Vineyards
Food Truck of the Year
Aioli Gourmet Burger
Left Coast Burrito
The Great Pho King Food Truck
Waffle Love AZ
Food Writer of the Year
Taryn Jeffries – Phoenix Bites
Sarah & Matthew - Geeks Who Eat
Dominic Armato – AZ Republic
Lifetime Achievement
TBA
Alex Simons Lifetime Achievement*
John Fontana – Arizona Arts Alliance
For the next couple of weeks, the voting period will be open to a select group of chefs, mixologists, media, farmers, organization leaders and board members who will vote for this year’s inductees. The voting body includes the Scottsdale League for the Arts membership, the food and beverage community, the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau and all past recipients of the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame awards.
All winners will be announced live at the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame on Monday, November 13, 2017. The event will take place from 6:30-9 p.m. at Wrigley Mansion’s Garden Room, 2501 E. Telawa Tr., Phoenix.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: http://scottsdalefest.org/halloffame/.
*The Alex Simons Lifetime Achievement Award was established to recognize exceptional commitment to the arts in Arizona. Alex was a founding member of SLA and volunteered much of his time to the arts in Scottsdale. His family established an endowment for the award upon his death in 2001 to keep the memory of his love for the arts alive. The Scottsdale League for the Arts will be honoring John Fontana with the award this year for his work and dedication to the Arizona Art Alliance and the Veterans Outreach Program.
About the Scottsdale League for the Arts
The Scottsdale League for the Arts is a 501(c)(3), non-profit volunteer organization of accomplished men and women who support artists, arts programs and arts education through fundraising and special events. In order to offer continuous value and assistance to the arts, the League awards all net funds raised to a variety of arts focused organizations through a grants program. For more information, visit: www.leagueforthearts.org.
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